Tafseer of The Stories · Al-Qasas · 28:22
And when he directed himself toward Madyan, he said, "Perhaps my Lord will guide me to the sound way."
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The explanation of the word of the Most High: وَلَمَّا تَوَجَّهَ تِلْقَاءَ مَدْيَنَ قَالَ عَسَى رَبِّي أَنْ يَهْدِيَنِي سَوَاءَ السَّبِيلِ ("And when he turned his face toward Madyan, he said: Perhaps my Lord will guide me to the right path") (verse 22)
As for وَلَمَّا تَوَجَّهَ تِلْقَاءَ مَدْيَنَ ("and when he turned his face toward Madyan"): the Most High says: and when Mūsā turned his face toward Madyan, traveling toward it, departing from the city of Pharaoh and having abandoned his authority, قَالَ عَسَى رَبِّي أَنْ يَهْدِيَنِي سَوَاءَ السَّبِيلِ . By "tilqāʾ" in His word He means: in the direction of Madyan; one says: "faʿala dhālika min tilqāʾi nafsihi" — he did that of his own accord; and one says: "dāruhu tilqāʾa dāri fulānin" — his house is opposite the house of so-and-so, when it stands facing it. The name Madyan is not declined to the genitive case (without tanwīn) because it is a well-known place name; thus the Arabs treat well-known names of lands. To this belongs the word of the poet Jarīr:
"The monks of Madyan (ruhbānu Madyana) — had they seen you, they would have descended; and the ibexes of the mountain peaks, the great ones among them."
As for عَسَى رَبِّي أَنْ يَهْدِيَنِي سَوَاءَ السَّبِيلِ ("perhaps my Lord will guide me to the right path"): he says: perhaps my Lord will make clear to me the straight way to Madyan; he spoke those words because he did not know the way to it.
It is mentioned that Allah, after Mūsā said: رَبِّ نَجِّنِي مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ , appointed for him an angel who showed him the way and taught it to him.
Mention of who said that:
Mūsā related to us, saying: ʿAmr related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, who said: when Mūsā had taken the byways of the road, an angel came to him on a horse, with a staff in his hand; when Mūsā saw him, he threw himself down before him out of fright; the angel said: "Do not throw yourself down before me; rather, follow me." Mūsā followed him, and he showed him the way to Madyan; and Mūsā said while he was on his way to Madyan: عَسَى رَبِّي أَنْ يَهْدِيَنِي سَوَاءَ السَّبِيلِ — and he led him until he arrived in Madyan.
Al-ʿAbbās related to us, saying: Yazīd informed us, saying: al-Aṣbagh ibn Zayd informed us, saying: al-Qāsim related to us, saying: Saʿīd ibn Jubayr related to us, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, who said: Mūsā set out on the way to Madyan without knowing the way, having only his good trust in his Lord, for he said: عَسَى رَبِّي أَنْ يَهْدِيَنِي سَوَاءَ السَّبِيلِ .
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq, who said: it has been related to me that he set out saying: رَبِّ نَجِّنِي مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ — and Allah paved the way for him to Madyan; he departed from Egypt without provisions, footwear, a mount, a dirham, or bread — fearful and awaiting pursuit — until he arrived at a group of people drawing water at wells in Madyan.
Abū ʿAmmār al-Ḥusayn ibn Ḥurayth al-Marwazī related to us, saying: al-Faḍl ibn Mūsā related to us, on the authority of al-Aʿmash, on the authority of al-Minhāl ibn ʿAmr, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, who said: Mūsā set out from Egypt to Madyan — a travel distance of eight (nightly marches) between them; it was said: something like from Kūfa to Baṣra; he had no food other than the leaves of the trees; and he set out barefoot, so that the soles of his feet were worn out before he arrived there.
Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: ʿUthām related to us, saying: al-Aʿmash related to us, on the authority of al-Minhāl, on the authority of Saʿīd, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, who said: when Mūsā set out from Egypt to Madyan — eight nights between them — it was said: something like from Baṣra to Kūfa — then he related the same.
And in Madyan at that time dwelt the people of Shuʿayb, peace be upon him.
Mention of who said that:
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning وَلَمَّا تَوَجَّهَ تِلْقَاءَ مَدْيَنَ : Madyan was a watering place upon which the people of Shuʿayb dwelt; قَالَ عَسَى رَبِّي أَنْ يَهْدِيَنِي سَوَاءَ السَّبِيلِ .
As for سَوَاءَ السَّبِيلِ ("the right path"): the exegetes differed concerning it in agreement with our view.
Mention of who said that:
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: سَوَاءَ السَّبِيلِ — he said: the way to Madyan.
Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Mujāhid — likewise.
He said: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Abū Sufyān related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda: قَالَ عَسَى رَبِّي أَنْ يَهْدِيَنِي سَوَاءَ السَّبِيلِ — he said: the straight way.
Ibn Bashshār related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān related to us, saying: ʿAbbād ibn Rāshid related to us, on the authority of al-Ḥasan: عَسَى رَبِّي أَنْ يَهْدِيَنِي سَوَاءَ السَّبِيلِ — he said: the straight, unbending way.
